Tempest of the Heart
by idontlikebreadcrusts
Summary: Pirate/Mermaid AU Pirate Gaara and Merman Naruto NarutoXGaara paring TRIGGER WARNING: Mentions and some descriptions of abuse Mentions and some descriptions of non con Mentions and some descriptions of violence and gore
1. The Scorpion and the Serpent

"Captain?"

The redhead was pulled from his thoughts and turned away from the ocean view to face his first mate. A large map was spread before them on the desk along with various tools and compasses for charting their course. The council room that sat on the deck was occupied by only the captain of the Alacrán and his two advisors.

"What do you think of the Uchiha's offer?" Gaara spoke as he sat in his chair and rested his chin in his hand.

Temari sighed as she reread the message sent to them by hawk earlier that day. "It's a risky move but he's desperate. We have a vital piece of what Orochimaru is looking for so the chances that this isn't a trap are relatively high. However I don't trust them."

"There's also the chance that whatever this rare possession they are willing to trade is not worth much to us." A hooded figure added in as an afterthought.

"Kankuro is right. We may waste time in sailing out of our way to meet for a trap or undesirable goods." The woman tapped a finger to the map to prove her point of just how far they would have to sail to get to the island.

The pirate absently stared out the window once more considering his options for action. They had been sailing without incident for over a month now and recently obtained a valuable item when they docked in the previous port. How a drunken Gaara managed to win it off of the affammed warrior, Hidan the Reaper, in a game of dice turned into a brawl was beyond anyone. The captain just had an affinity for winning when all odds were against him. Now thanks to the stories that spread the brooding pirate, Sasuke, knew exactly where the Book of Souls was. If he refused a trade they would certainly come to try and take it by force. While the crew of the Alacrán could handle most battles, Uchiha's crew did not fight fair, even by a pirates standards. They had that sorcerer, Orochimaru aboard. There was no telling how much damage they'd incur if it were to come to that. They really had no use for the tome in the first place as they had no witches or magically inclined on their crew. The red head picked up the book in question and thumbed through it absently, deep in thought. Perhaps there was a way to gain insurance incase they end up in a trap of some sort. The captain smirked before turning to both his advisors.

"Plot a course for the island. The snake has peaked my interest."

X_X_X

The weather was humid causing Gaara's shirt to stick to his back with sweat underneath the thick material of his maroon coat. The blaring sun was relentless as he hauled their row boat out of the water and the grainy sand his boots kicked up as he trudged ashore reminded him so much of the white sands of Suna, the desert nightmare he had the great displeasure of calling his homeland. This was his least favorite part of being a pirate. The times when something as simple as the clinking of chains or the feel of sand triggered unpleasant memories as they played pack in his head.

Never in his life would he have imagined that he'd grow up to become one of the most notorious pirates to ever sail the seas. Hell he hadn't even seen the ocean much less sailed it until his cousin saved him and his siblings when he was ten and welcomed them as part of his crew. The topic of his cousin, Sasori had been a bit taboo being the black sheep of the family and all. They grew up hearing hushed stories of the rebellious youth who shamefully disregarded the desert and way of their ancestors for the sake of plundering and pillaging on the open ocean. Gaara vaguely remembered his older relative, matching red hair, same pale skin, sad looking eyes. As a child he could never understand how someone born of the sand could forsake the desert like that. After his father easily sold them into slavery without batting an eye, he understood all too well why Sasori left. The desert was harsh and relentless, the people who lived there were cruel and abhorrent.

Fifteen years ago Sasori happened to find and liberated them. Rescuing them from a port slave auction and slaughtered anyone who dared to try and stop him. He taught them exactly how a family should be, not bonds of blood but bonds of trust and respect. Your crew was your family, and that was what made the Red Devil of the Sea such a good captain with a loyal barrage of men and women who would follow him to the world's end. They did follow him to the world's end. Gaara followed him to the very end, but in the end there was nothing he could do to save Sasori.

"Gaara" Temari gestured to the spot on the beach where three figures stood waiting in the midday sun.

"Temari, Kankuro, come. The rest of you stay." The pirate approached the opposing captain, emotionless facade in perfect place.

"Took you guys long enough. I am dying out here in the sun." A white haired pirate complained before being harshly told to shut up by his superior.

Gaara eyed their surroundings, curiosity peaking as he noticed a large rectangular box that was draped in an old dingy bedsheet. A taller, silent figure was resting his foot at its corner, carefully observing Gaara's every move.

"I don't presume you wish to be out here any longer than we do. You already know what we have. What is this rare item you wish to trade?" Temari spoke sharply, placing a hand on her hip to make a point of her growing impatience.

"Hn" The raven haired man snapped his fingers, signaling to his men to uncover the box that lay behind them in the sand.

There was an astounding silence for a solid minute after the linen was taken away to reveal a large glass tank. Gaara tried to connect the pieces of what he was seeing to the thinking part of his brain, furrowing his brow in frustration when it seemed to be taking longer than normal to react. He finally spoke, a dry laughter leaving his mouth since all this had to just be some joke.

"You want to trade one of the oldest and greatest spell books in the world for a dead fish?"

The Uchiha frowned at the red heads obvious displeasure with their trade offer. "It's still extremely valuable for parts on the black market dead or alive. You can't seriously not think this is a fair trade."

Gaara glared at the man across him before observing the filthy tank once more. The creature was simply floating in the murky water, hands bound behind its back and gag securely placed in its mouth. It's scales were dingy and falling off and there seemed to be various wounds that had been left untended and were now sporting a rather nasty looking infection, particularly in its face.

"I hardly think a dead mermaid is worth the same as a necromancer's tome."

"Merman" Temari corrected. She and Kankuro had taken a closer look at the beast in the water.

"It's not even a siren" Gaara scoffed and watched the Uchiha become more exasperated by the minute.

"Half dead." Kankuro chimed in as he lightly tapped the glass and watched the creature slightly shift itself in response.

"There you see. Not completely dead!" the white haired pirate knocked on the tank harshly causing the merman to shudder and moan out in incoherent pain.

"What more do you want?" Onyx eyes glared back in annoyance.

Gaara knew Sasuke was at his limit of cooperation, but if he really was as desperate as he seemed they could push him just a little farther.

"You can't seriously expect me to think this is a good deal. "

"Fine. How about I add in maps for a new trade route ships are taking." The dark haired captain grumbled.

"What kind of goods?"

"It's supposed to be a bit of everything. Food, livestock, medicine, silks and spices." Sasuke grabbed the rolled up documents from one of his men and held it out.

Gaara turned to his siblings who each shrugged in return. The merman was tempting, all his time at sea and he had only heard the tales of the creatures that lived beneath the surface of the waves. He has seen dead mer parts at the black market but never a whole live one, well partially alive. The captain considered the maps as well. There was no reassurance that this information was legitimate, but what was a pirates life if not one built on risks, betrayed promises and broken rules.

"Alright. I'll take the merman and your intel, not that your word is worth much in the first place." Gaara smirked as emotions of vexation played across Sasuke's face.

"You might be an honorable pirate, if there ever were such a thing, but you are still a pirate. Don't act all high and mighty just because you're called the Blood Scorpion now." Sasuke laughed contemptuously as he tossed the maps and documents at the red head.

"Yes, because you're the epitome of humility, King Cobra." Gaara grabbed the old leather bound book from his first mate and held it out to the opposing captain.

"Hn" the Uchiha grabbed at the tome held out to him.

"If the trade information is false, you'll witness first hand how I received my nickname." The pirate's voice became sharper than steel.

"In that case, I hope you keep your promises better than I do." Sasuke gave a mocking smirk as Gaara narrowed his eyes and gave the man the book.

"You'll need some help carrying this oversized goldfish. He's a heavy waste of space." The shorter pirate gestured to the tank as the Uchiha and his men turned and left back to their ship.

Gaara watched them go until he was certain they were out of sight. "Call a few more men, let's get the creature back to our ship."

It took four men to carry the tank down to the long boats they had brought ashore. Heaving the merman and the eighty gallons of disgusting water it sat in proved to be a cumbersome task. They stopped, short of breath before attempting to load it in the boat.

"No, dump that foul water out." The captain ordered, stopping his men mid task.

"Gently." He growled when they carelessly dropped the tank into the shore.

Slowly they turned the tank over to the side spilling the scummy liquid into the sand, the merman rolling out of the tank with muffled groans of pain. The pirates jumped back as the creature began making choking sounds, spasming and thrashing its tail back and forth.

"Tch, I never knew a fish could make my crew so skittish. Our enemies would have a hay day if they knew." The captain sneered and stepped forward to roll the merman on its side.

He undid the cloth gag from its mouth and vomit spilled out followed by coughing and more retching. Pale fingers gripped the being's face once it's nausea had passed, analyzing just exactly what he traded that valuable item for. The tan skin was hot with fever. Dirty locks of hair clung to its face wet in clumps, grimy from the grey water it lived in for who knows how long. A rather thick film of slime coated its tail and body, and angry puss filled wounds and lacerations were scattered over its body and face.

"Hey, can you hear me?" Gaara jostled its shoulder slightly but the creature gave no response.

The captain sighed unsure if a half dead merman was even worth the trouble of saving. One thing for sure, they had been on this island too long. The sand was beginning to bother him and his ship needed to acquire more food and supplies soon. He hoisted up the creature and carried him over his shoulder back to the boat.

"Don't stand there gaping, get the tank on board and let's get back to the ship." He barked out his orders and his men scrambled to get back out to sea.

"Are you sure leaving it un gagged is a good idea?" Temari cautiously took her spot at the bow of the long boat and quirked a brow in judgment.

"Yeah, it might not be a siren but it might still sing you to a watery grave." Kankuro began rowing.

"It's hardly even coherent at this point and I left it's hands tied. I'd be surprised if it had enough strength to even speak." The limp figure remained unmoving, draped over the captain's shoulder the entire way back to the Alacrán.

"Gaara, are you sure this was a good trade off?" His first mate followed him to his cabin as soon as they returned on deck.

"Don't worry about it. Send for the doctor Temari."

He heard her sigh as he entered his quarters with their trade and shut the door behind him. The new maps he received were tossed onto his bed at the corner of the room before hastily clearing his charts and documents to set the scaley being on the long table he used as a desk. A knock came to his door just as he had placed a rolled up sheet under its head for some minor comfort.

"Enter" Gaara moved to untie its wrists, noticing the chafing of the rope left them raw and blistered and festering. He frowned briefly remembering how painful restraints were.

"What have you gotten yourself into this time lad?" A stern old voice reached him and brought him back to the present.

"Can it be healed?" the captain ignored her previous question.

"Tsk tsk tsk" the old doctor examined the damage.

"Well?"

"Just where exactly did you find this? It already reeks of death." Doctor Chiyo pinched her nose in disgust. It did smell something foul.

"In a trade with the Snake."

"Him and his damned sorcerer. No life is sacred to them." She grumbled and poked at the large fin with her walking stick.

"Can he be healed, Chiyo? A live merman is more valuable to me than a dead one." Gaara spoke as he turned to stare out the window.

"It's probably easier if you end its life right now and put it out of its misery. The infection is far spread and will take serious round the clock medical treatment and antibiotics to heal. We don't have that supplies on hand. Not to mention a healthy merfolk on deck would be a handful of its own."

The captain crossed his arms and furrowed his brow in thought. Killing it would save them the trouble of looking for medication and a dead merman was still valuable enough to sell for plenty of gold. He turned back and stared at the creature, its chest rising and falling weakly. There was no guarantee that the creature would even heal completely. The cuts on its cheeks would leave deep scars. Gaara absently touched his forehead where the slave brand had been placed on him fifteen years ago. Temari was right, his rare and random merciful indulgences were going to be the death of him some day.

"Bring whatever medicine you have and make a list of what you'll need. I'll help you with him. Not a word to the rest of the crew. That includes my sister."

X_X_X

They had left wet sheets on the creature and changed them periodically when they had begun to dry out. Doctor Chiyo advised against letting the wounds sit in water until they were clear of the infection, so Gaara had to make do with alternating old bed sheets and buckets of water to try and keep the mermans fever at bay. He sat in a chair by the window reviewing the course they were on to intercept a trade ship hopefully carrying medical supplies as the mermaid condition was now stable but unchanging. The captain looked over to the figure still laying on his table with a soaked sheet draped over him.

The first night was the longest as Chiyo and the Captain spent hours removing scum and grime build up on the merman body, both vomiting at the stench several times throughout the process. Pirates weren't the best smelling things to roam the earth but nothing compared to the vile odor of months of excrement build up. It's tail lost so many scales as the rags worked to scrub it clean, glints of pale orange falling sadly to the wooden floor. Gaara collected them unsure if he could even sell the sorry looking things. Finally after the doctor cleaned the wounds enough to apply a topical ointment she declared she was leaving, because unlike Gaara she actually slept. He let her go and set to the final task of washing it's hair. It was blonde, it turns out. Once the dark grime was scrubbed away it revealed a golden hue that Gaara found pleasing for some odd reason. He looked back up to find hazy blue eyes squinted up at him. The pirate froze, unsure if he should wring its neck or wait for it to make the first move.

"M-mom?" A raspy choked out whisper came from the blond before he lost consciousness again.

The gag was reinstated after that incident and loose cloth ties across its chest and tail were also put in place to keep the creature from rolling off the table. Days passed without the merman waking again. A knock on the door caused the captain return to the present and rise to allow entrance to the doctor.

"I'll be back. Hopefully this ship has everything we need." The red head slipped into his coat and grabbed his weapon, sheathing it at his side. The old lady simply grunted in response and took over cleaning wounds and reapplying ointment on her patient.

On the deck, excitement filled the air as the crew prepared themselves to scour the trade ship for goods. Kankuro let out a holler as he descended from the crow's nest, telescope in hand.

"We've got them in our sights, Captain." The hooded man informed his younger brother.

"Make chase." The redhead nodded and soon the Alacrán was racing through the waves and overtaking the smaller cargo ship.

"Shall I hoist the red flag captain?" Kankuro raised the crimson material in his hands.

"No. Give the speech Kankuro, those willing to surrender will be welcomed to our crew."

"Feeling generous today captain? You used to never give quarter." Temari suspiciously eyed her brother.

"I miss those days." Kankuro sighed but returned the red flag back to storage.

It was true, after Sasori's death Gaara practically bathed in the blood of his enemies. He became ruthless and cruel, hell bent on vengeance until he finally got his hands on that Royal Navy Admiral responsible for his captain's death. Afterwards, when the sorrow in his soul was not quenched by his idea of justice he began to question what he had become. Much to his sisters dislike, the heartless Blood Scorpion no longer relied on his hatred, anger and impulse to make decisions for him.

"We are looking for supplies not blood, but if you're so eager for a slaughter be my guest." The captain challenged and watched his sister laugh.

"Fine fine, but when your reputation falters because you've become soft don't come crying to me." She walked off to bark more orders and forcefully board the supply ship.

They had luck on their side. A large amount of silks, food and gold were taken from the smaller ship. Antibiotics were also found as well after Gaara interrogated the small cargo ships captain thoroughly. He brought them back to the doctor who immediately began another round of intense treatment on the limp creature in the captain's quarters. It's fever finally broke and the lacerations cleared enough for stitches and bandages to be put in place. At least if the creature stayed comatose, he would be much better looking and receive higher bids when the time came to sell it.

Gaara sighed to himself as he stared at the figure on his table. Part of him hoped the creature would stay unconscious as he was unsure if he could even handle a merman trying to fight back and lure him into the depths of the ocean to feast on his flesh. The other part of him was curious and slightly sympathetic to the obvious amount of abuse and neglect caused by the Uchiha. There were those little things again, popping up to remind him of his past. He was a pirate for christs sake, compassion should be the furthest thing from his mind. He brought his train of thought back to the being before him. There was not much known about mermen in particular. The tales of terror consisted only of females, beautiful things singing sailors to their deaths and causing tempests occasionally. Mermen were never spoken about or ever regarded as sirens. Could they even sing? The captain picked up the jar of dingy orange scales that had fallen off and shook them about. If he sold the creature they would just kill him. All that hard work to heal him would have been for nothing then. On the other hand who would have paid for such a sick looking thing in the first place. No one in their right mind would have traded the snake for him. Gaara must have been loosing his head. Just as the man set the jar back down he heard muffled groaning from behind him. The captain smirked to himself and set his eyes on the blond.

X_X_X

Naruto felt like he had been mauled by a shark. His head ached, his body was sore and his tail felt so stiff he was sure his scales would split in two if he tried to use it to swim. His eyelids felt heavy and his mouth was dry and uncomfortable as a foreign material seemed to be invading it, making it hard to move. He called out for his mother, but it sounded muted and incoherent. He heard a shuffling noise and a clacking on wood before a voice was in his ear, unfamiliar and deep.

"I'm sure you'll have some questions. If you even think about singing, screeching or causing any sort of ruckus, the gag goes back on."

The constricting feeling in his mouth disappeared and his eyes slowly opened, disoriented and assaulted by the light. He glimpsed blurry red hair next to him, confused as the voice didn't match.

"Mom?" His throat felt like he had swallowed gallons of sand, coarse and painful.

"Hardly." The voice scoffed

He felt hands at the back of his head, slightly lifting as water poured into his mouth. The merman greedily drank, letting it soothe his parched throat and saddened when the water stopped and was pulled away from him. He blinked up to find striking green eyes looking down on him. Definitely not his mother.

"Where am I?" the merman finally managed to find his voice.

"Aboard the Alacrán ." The green eyed man responded with little emotion.

"And who are you?"

"Captain of the Alacrán ."

"What happened to the other captain? The one of the Hebi?" The merman recalled the cold onyx eyes that caught him and stole him away from the sea.

"He traded you for something he needed." The man sat back in his chair, eyes observing every move Naruto made.

"So what's going to happen to me now? Will you torture and do tests on me like those snake men?" Naruto's eyes narrowed as he recalled the brutality he faced aboard that damned ship.

The red haired man let out a brief laugh, obviously amused at something. "Now why would I have gone through all that trouble to try and heal you if I was just going to torture you?"

The question was rhetorical, but Naruto didn't quite understand what he had just said. "Wait, what?"

The captain paused, simply staring at the merman for a moment before moving to grab an object hanging off his wall. He brought it back and held it in place for the creature to look at its reflection. Naruto's face fell as he saw his cheeks covered with a thick bandages. The man removed one, revealing three long lines of stitches across his face.

"You were left bound in that tank of greywater for so long that all the wounds and lacerations you received had become badly infected. The doctor managed to cure the infection enough to stitch you up but your face and wrists will have heavy scarring."

Naruto was speechless. He would be forever marred by his misfortune. Poseidon must have forsaken him if it had been so long he couldn't even recall how he ended up aboard yet another pirate ship. He tugged at the loose restraint tied around his chest and the flat surface beneath him.

"Am I your prisoner then?" The blond looked away from the mirror back to the captain, wanting an honest reply.

"I haven't decided yet."

The man returned his mirror to its place before speaking again. "I think it will mostly depend on your behavior aboard my ship."

"What do you mean by that?" Naruto furrowed his brow.

"I had originally intended to sell you on the black market to the highest bidder, but after everything the good doctor and I went through to get you well again, selling you to someone just so they can kill you seems like such a waste."

Naruto frowned unable to tell if this man was telling the truth. Damned pirates and their trickery, shameless lying sacks of scum. He should have never swam so close to the surface, curse his insatiable curiosity. He had learned his lesson, and now was paying for his actions. Humans were cruel, vile monsters and he was glad his people dragged them to their depths to feast on their flesh.

"What use do you have then for a blighted merman?"

"What use do I have for you, indeed. Perhaps I should just slice your throat and make my life easier." The captain pulled out his sword and began trailing the tip of his blade across Naruto's skin.

He couldn't hold back the shiver or sudden panic in his eyes as the metal traced the groove of his Adam's apple. He should have kept his mouth shut, he shouldn't have enticed the pirate. What was that about him learning his lesson again?

"Here's how it's going to work, you be a good boy for me by not making a fuss and you can stay here in my quarters while I decide what I want to do with you. Or, you can cause me trouble and I'll have you thrown into the brig and sold to the highest bidder at the next port we dock at, where they will most likely gut you and skin you alive." The redhead tapped on a bandaged cheek with the blade before speaking again. "So, which will it be?"

Naruto glared up at the intense green eyes silently wishing the man would just drop dead. "A prison is still a prison no matter how pretty the cage."

"Aye, freedom is all but an illusion. Nonetheless you have a choice." Naruto watched as something changed slightly in the man's expression as he responded.

"If I promise not to make any trouble you have to swear no harm will come to me." The blond tried to portray his best threatening look.

"I don't think you're in the proper position to be negotiating with a pirate." The captain raised a brow in amusement.

"Can't blame me for trying, now can you?" Naruto rolled his eyes knowing it was hopeless but damned if he didn't try anyway.

Gaara observed the creature for a moment, considering its request. "I'll humor you then. Until I come to a decision and as long as you behave no harm will come to you and you'll be well taken care of while on my ship. Do we have an accord?"

He nodded his head with vigor hoping this pirate was a man of his word, unlike the Cobra King.  
The merman sighed in slight relief, when the sword was removed from his face and returned to the captain's side. This deal was more than he expected to get. At this point he'd take whatever small good fortune was handed to him.

"Can I have some more water?" Naruto pushed his chances about that agreement he just made.

He watched the man grunt in approval before his head was lifted and the cup found his lips again. Water had never tasted sweeter. He lived in the goddamned ocean all his life and never had he been so thankful for water until that moment when it entered his mouth after it had been deprived to him.

"Are you feeling well enough to sit up?" The captain asked after Naruto had drained the cup.

"I think so." He felt the cloth bindings loosen around his chest. He tried to push himself up onto his elbows, room slightly spinning with the sudden movement. His wrists burned with the motion and he winced at the pain.

"Maybe not." The blond found himself laying down again bringing his wrists to his face for inspection.

They were heavily bandaged and stung with every slight movement he made. His fingers stumbled as he tried to unwrap the cloth to see the extent of damage done.

"Don't" a pale hand lightly stopped him. "Those were very difficult for the doctor to work on."

His arms returned to his side. Movement again further down the table drew his attention once more. The wet sheet and bindings around his tail were removed and Naruto grimaced to himself at what his tail might look like. He slowly wiggled it, feeling sore and heavy. Gently he began to lift it, letting it curl towards him so he could asseshow bad it was. A small sob caught in his throat when he finally looked at it. Large amounts or scales had fallen off leaving it dull and pale looking. There were several pieces of his forked tail fin missing, that would become an issue should he ever want to swim properly again. He returned his tail to rest again on the table wordlessly as he fought back the tears threatening to spill. Absolutely everything he held dear had been taken away from him. His family, his friends, his safety, proper use of his tail. Even if he was to return to the sea he'd have trouble swimming with such large pieces of his main fin missing. He'd be slow and anything slow moving in the ocean wouldn't last long. He would just become a liability to everyone, nothing would ever be the same again.

"The doctor said you should stay out of water until your stitches heal but after that I can bring you the tank if you'd like? It's not much room to swim in but it's all we have on board that will fit you." The captain replaced the damp bed sheet over the sickly fin.

"If at all possible, I'd love nothing more than to have that tank thrown off the edge of a large cliff."  
Naruto went rigid at the mention of the confined space he spent months in being tortured and poked for hours on end. He'd never return to it willingly if he could help it.

The captain simply sat back watching the blond with what seemed like disinterest. "Then wet sheets and water in a bucket are all I can offer you."

"It'll be fine. I don't need to be in water constantly. Can I have a dry one of these? I feel cold." The merman lifted up the cloth draped over him.

The redhead gave a slight sigh as he got up to pull the blanket from his own bed and bring it back to the blond. Naruto lightly closed his eyes, feeling exhausted again and sleep slowly overtook him once more.

X_X_X

Gaara had left once the merman had fallen asleep, making sure to lock the door to his cabin. He hadn't expected that to go as well as it did. He was half ready to wrestle the blond and subdue him into the rusty cell down below. Thankfully the creature seemed to have had his fill of pirates cruelty so he complied rather easily. Still that didn't change the fact that the captain had no idea what he wanted to do with him. Selling him still seemed like the smartest choice but for all their delinquent actions as pirates, selling a living person was not something that sat right with him, even if it was only half a person. It hit a little too close to home for him and he thoroughly knew Sasori would have disapproved of the notion. He had his code, the selling of a human was not a part of that.

Temari would disapprove. She would have never agreed to the trade knowing Gaara wouldn't sell the creature. He really did not want to deal with an angry sister. The captain reached the quiet main deck and silently leaned against a wooden mast staring up at the night sky. He instantly found Orion's Belt rising in the direction they sailed, east. They'd reach the next pirates port in a week's time if the wind favored them. He'd have to decide by then.

"Any other pirate would have killed or sold it by now." The old woman appeared next to the captain.

"Are you questioning my actions?"

"Yes" She spoke with no hesitation.

"I told you, a healthy merfolk is worth more than a half dead one. They'll be willing to pay more gold for i-" Gaara was cut off by her wooden cane whacking him in the side.

"Don't get smart with me lad. That was a whole lot of trouble for me to go through just so you can sell the fish. We both know that sea dweller won't be going anywhere anytime soon." The woman chided.

The captain glared at the doctor and her ability to see right through him. He crossed his arms in annoyance and frowned. "It's not within my code to be selling people. That's not what I signed up for when I became captain and that is definitely not the kind of person I want to become."

"I never said your conviction was wrong." Chiyo softened her voice as she spoke. "Sasori would be proud of who you've become."

The redhead let out a small dry laugh. "Its moronic. He's dead and I'm still trying to do things to gain his approval. His ghost never leaves me alone."

"Lad, what's moronic is that you think he didn't approve of you in the first place. He pushed you further than your siblings because he knew you were capable of more than you could ever dream of. He was hard on you because he was grooming you to become his successor. I'd say that worked out rather well."

He turned his face back to the sky, ignoring her words. So he couldn't sell the merman, the doctor was right. Now what was he going to do with the blond?


	2. Shadows of men who once were

Gaara returned to his quarters a few hours later carrying a large platter of food. He was unsure what merfolk ate aside from sailors or even if the creature would want to eat, so he brought a little bit of everything he could find in the galley. As he walked in he was surprised to find the blond in question had moved from the table and was now occupying the bed. The captain blinked at the bundle of blankets and golden hair that peeked out from under the sheets. Silently, he set the silver platter onto the table and approached the sleeping figure wondering if he really crawled to the bed? He supposed the table must have been uncomfortable after laying there for so long.

The redhead turned and took a seat in his chair, picking up a leather bound journal and quill. The only good thing that came from his five years of slavery was that he was forced to learn how to read and write. Their first master was a bookkeeper who put him to work in his library, organizing record books and cleaning. This required some small manner of literary skill which Gaara picked up rather quickly compared to his brother and sister. Considering all things, that old man in his musty shop was the kindest of those darker years as the beatings were few and far in between. Of course it was short lived as the man easily sold them off to pay for some debt a year later. Their second master was a complete nightmare.

The judge who purchased the siblings next was a vile devil parading around in a pious man's clothes. Kankuro was forced to do taxing hard labor under the burning sun and slept in the stables, eating with the livestock. Temari was not allowed to leave the kitchens. She was brutally beaten if she ever spilled, dropped or so much as lightly burned anything and fed table scraps for their four years there. Out of the three, the youngest boy had it the worst. Gaara was never forced to work, or denied meals. He was not given rags to wear or spit upon by the maids and butlers. He had his own room with a view of the city and beautiful outfits made of silks and fine materials. His value was doubled now that he knew how to read and the redhead was given tutors to continue his education. How he would give anything to have been treated like his siblings instead of a doll, slowly becoming a hollow shell of a person.

There were two other young boys his age who lived in the same wing. They were never allowed to speak to each other. Just simple passing glances and small frowns as they were ushered through the hallway onto their next destination. He remembered the young porcelain faces like emotionless masks held in perfect place and always unfaltering. Their presence was much like a ghost, solemn, silent and eerie as their childhood innocence had been long stolen from them ages ago and all that resided was the empty, soulless remnants. In time, the redhead began to reflect that same vacant display as months turned to years and the light in his eyes was easily squandered under the weight of his captivity.

Gaara quickly became one of the judges favorites since he was a 'clever boy with alluring green eyes' according to his master. Never had Gaara wanted you gouge his own eyes out more than that moment of his childhood. Even to this day the man couldn't bear to look himself properly in the mirror, always evading the sight of the emerald color reflected back at him. Disgusted by them since his youth.

Most days the captain could go without memory of his past invading his mind, but there were times when his exhaustion took over and images of those hellish nights forced to spend with the judge suffocated ghosting of hands holding him down, the screams ringing loudly in his ears even after he jolted awake. The trembling he couldn't stop and the cold sweat that penetrated his clothing assaulted him, forcing him to remember should he be so bold to think he could ever forget.

Gaara busied himself most of the time, trying only to sleep on occasion with aid of the doctors concoctions to give him a few prized hours of dreamless sleep. Aside from his siblings, he spoke to no one of his past and if anyone heard him screaming at night they knew better than to bring it up. It had been under better control before Sasori died. After that it became a mess of old nightmares and new as terrors of his life as an adolescent mixed with images of a blood soaked captain he failed to save. Far too much for his subconscious to handle, and far too much for his conscious mind to reason.

The man was deep in thought as he scribbled down notes in his book that he didn't notice dawn creeping up or the that figure in his bed was now awake.

"Is this for me?" A tan hand lifted the cover of the tray of food and the creature sniffed tentatively.

"Ye-" the captain stopped short as the blond stood before him.

His tail was gone. Absent. Missing. Gaara blinked a few times, nearly dropping his journal and inkwell in shock.

"What's wrong?" The merman quirked a brow at the redhead.

"Your tail. It's gone. How? I don't…" Words seemed to fail the usually calm and collected pirate.

"Oh. Merfolk lose their tails when they've been out of water and dried off. I thought humans knew that." Blue eyes inspected a piece of cooked tuna before giving it a small lick.

"You have legs." Gaara continued to gawk at the naked man before him. Sun kissed skin demanded attention as it trailed over muscular calves and thighs which led up to a well defined arse. The captain averted his gaze quickly as the figure turned to face him, mouth stuffed with fish.

"I have legs." He spoke through the half chewed food.

"For what purpose?" The redhead was still having a hard time understanding it.

"Breeding, usually." came a nonchalant response in between bites.

Gaara nearly choked. "What.."

"Breeding. You know, it's when you-"

"I know what breeding is. I'm familiar with it. I was just thinking out loud." The captain quickly cut him off hoping to be spared the details.

"Oh. Well I mean, we don't just lose our tails solely for the purpose of breeding but that's usually the main reason since that's really the only time we go on land." The blond scratched the back of his head as he thought.

Gaara cleared his throat and smoothly recovered. "I see."

"What is this?" The merman picked up a roll from the plate and squished it in his hand.

"Bread." The redhead stared, still slightly bewildered at the creature's state.

He watched the merman take a bite of the dinner roll before spitting it back out and sticking his tongue out in discontent, returning to the fish he had previously been eating. The captain took another glance at the new appendages. The skin was slightly battered much like the tail had been. His eyes followed down towards its feet as he noticed there were many deep cuts that were barely beginning to scar on the top of both feet as well as several toes missing, the amputations looking almost healed for the most part.

"I wasn't aware you had other severe injuries." The man shut his journal and set it to the side.

The creature paused mid chew and looked back with a confused expression. Gaara gestured at the floor where it stood and watched the blue eyes flash with sadness as it understood.

"That was the damaged done to my tail." The voice was soft, almost a whisper.

"Does it hurt?"

"A little. Walking is difficult. It's hard to keep balance."

The captain sighed inwardly, berating himself yet again for his inability to refrain from mercy with this being. "Sit"

The blond hesitated briefly before hobbling over to the bed and taking a seat. Gaara felt the silent gaze on him as he rummaged through a drawer for ointment and bandages. As much as he fought with himself he just could not justify neglecting the creature without an impending sense of guilt that seemed to crush him. Curse that goddamn sliver of a conscience he had.

"I'll send the doctor to take a look at them later today. This will have to do for now." The captain kneeled on the floor and carefully applied the clear paste over the gashes on his feet.

"I know the deal we made means I won't be harmed for now but...why are you being so nice to me?"

Gaara froze, cloth bandage still in his hands. Why was he being so kind? He had no real reason to do so. He was a pirate after all. A cold hearted, lying, thieving, swindling, murderous pirate. He'd never acted this way without an ulterior motive. What made this so different? He frowned and continued again to wrap the bandages around the extremities in silence. The captain felt blue eyes on him as he finished tying off the cloth and released the limbs from his grasp. He turned his head up and allowed his eyes to lock onto the creatures for the first time. It's was a brief second really but Gaara felt like eons has passed before he looked away again and got up from his position on the floor.

"Try to stay off your feet until the doctor comes to check them." The pirate swiftly exited his quarters, locking the door behind him without another word.

X_X_X

"We've got a problem."

"Eh? What's this we business?" Chiyo frowned as Gaara approached her. She was too old for more meddlesome issues.

"The merman has legs." His voice was a low whisper.

"Say again, lad?" Her hearing must be failing her. That can't be right.

"Legs Chiyo. His tail is gone." The redhead repeated himself.

"Have you been drinking?" The old lady tried to assess him. Although the captain hardly drank aboard his ship and reserved it for when they docked, it wouldn't be the first time a drunk pirate came up to her fussing over some nonsense.

The green eyes glared at her before continuing "Apparently they lose their tails when dry."

"How exactly is this my problem then?"

He cleared his throat, indicating he was about to make a request. Well as close to a request as was possible for the pirate. "The injuries to his tail were quite severe. His feet now reflect the large amount of damage to his fin that was shredded."

"All you do is bring me more work." She shook her head in annoyance.

"How do you think I feel about my crew?" He responded dryly.

"Bah! My share of spoils better be doubled for this." The doctor grumbled as she walked away back to her room for supplies. She could feel it in her bones, it was going to be a long week.

X_X_X

Naruto didn't like the old lady too much. She was wobbly and wrinkly and smelled like seaweed. She whacked him with her stick too many times for complaining and moving around too much and she wasn't as gentle as the captain had been when she rewrapped his feet after checking them. He rolled his eyes as she barked at him to stay in bed and not go sauntering about just because he was a fish out of water.

That was hours ago. The sun was beginning to set and the captain hadn't returned. He was beginning to worry that what he had said made the pirate angry. Maybe he shouldn't have questioned it. He never did learn to keep his mouth shut. His mother was always after him for speaking before thinking. A pain in his chest formed when the brief thought of his mom came. How long had it been since he had seen her beautiful firey hair or felt her warm hugs or heard her voice? He began to hum the tune she always sang to him but the melody that normally comforted him left him feeling hollow instead. Naruto rolled over onto his side facing the wall as the tears he had been holding back since he woke up finally escaped. Just this once he allowed himself to succumb to his dismay. He never really broke down after he was captured, too proud to let those monsters see him cry. Now, this first time he had been left alone, his emotional stronghold wavered and crashed down around him. His anxiety creeped out and Naruto was so tired of trying to be strong enough to fight it. He let it overtake him, just this once.

When he woke again the moon was high in the sky and another tray of food had been brought for him. His grumbling stomach was grateful for it as the smell wafted over to him. He slowly moved to the table and sat in the dark wooden chair before uncovering the silver plate. To his delight it was full of squid, oysters and fish, none of that tasteless bread stuff to be found. The merman devoured it enjoying the taste even though it was not fresh like he normally ate it. After his meal he ignored the healers orders in favor of wandering over to the window, looking out at the sea below.

He sighed heavily at the sight. He wondered what his family and friends were doing right now. Were they still looking for him or had it been so long that they have already given up hope? Did they even miss him, did they notice he was gone? He stared down at his injuries again. Did he still have a place in the ocean anymore? There was no way he could out swim a shark or rush to safety in the event of a predator with his injured fin. He had just become a huge liability to everyone he loved. His head hurt from crying so much earlier, there was too much thinking clouding his mind. He turned back to the pile of blankets and burrowed himself in again feeling sadder and more lonely than before.

The next few days passed much the same. Only the old smelly lady came to see him, bringing him a small plate of food when the sun rose and every time he woke in the evening a larger meal would appear on the table. Naruto found himself sleeping a lot, not really wishing to let his mind stray into things that made his heart hurt. Being alone didn't help since there was no distractions and the captain's quarters were not really filled with anything of interest to the blond. Mostly books in a language he couldn't read and maps of lands he didn't know of. No jewels, no gold, no trinkets of far off travels, he found it to be very odd for a pirate to lack such possessions. Naruto had been so desperate for entertainment one day he rummaged through every single shelf and drawer he could find hoping to uncover something to help him escape. Nothing of any value or interest was found. The only thing left alone was a locked chest in the corner of the room.

Part of him wished the captain would come back. He was a much more interesting conversationalist than the woman, even if he didn't always say much. Plus the man didn't hit him with a stick when he complained. The blond wondered if he should send a word of apology with the old lady just in case he did upset the redhead. He didn't mean anything by it, it was just odd that the man's gentle actions didn't match his closed off demeanor. He hoped it didn't effect whatever fate was decided for him. He wrung his hands nervously with the thought as the door was pushed open and a familiar figure shuffled into the room.

"I thought I told you to stay off of those feet, lad. Have you got fish for brains?" She scolded as she set his daily meal onto the table.

He merely shrugged in response as he headed back to sit on the bed so she could check on his stitches. They were ready to come off and the blond was so happy to be rid of the itchy things in his face and body. He let his fingers trace over the raised lines of skin on his cheek, scared to look in the mirror at his face. He frowned when the healer shoved the mirror in his hands with a disapproving glare.

"Go on then. That's gonna be your face from now on so may as well get used to it. Just be glad it wasn't those blue eyes they messed with. That would have been a real shame." She checked the wounds of his feet as Naruto reluctantly stared back at himself in the glass.

He had such a beautiful face. Now there were three lines across each cheek, disfiguring him. He sighed in frustration and put the looking glass back down. He was alone most of the day anyway, he'd have plenty of time to do this later without the old woman to get after him. The thought of having no company yet again made him uneasy. He turned to the healer as he spoke.

"Can you tell him I'm sorry?" His voice was low.

She smacked the outside of his thigh. "Speak up, lad. I don't know what you're mumbling about."

Naruto groaned before repeating himself. "The captain, can you tell him I'm sorry if what I said upset him."

"So you're the reason he's been a moody pain in the arse recently. And what was it that you said to upset him?"

"I just asked him a question. It wasn't even anything offensive." The merman scoffed

The doctor continued to work in silence, brows furrowed in some form of concentration. A slight flash of realization passing before she spoke again. "That man is a mystery sometimes. Nobody understands what's going on in that head of his that makes him act so strangely." She stood up, finished tending to her patient.

"Oh" There was nothing else Naruto could say. It looked like it would be another day of solitude.

"He'll get over it. Just give him some time, he's got a lot on his mind right now."

X_X_X

Just a few more hours and they would arrive at the port, as long as the wind kept its speed. It would be dusk by then and a large portion of his crew would rush to the taverns to drink themselves stupid and Gaara would finally have some damn quiet. Of course he wouldn't be as irked if he had returned to his quarters like he normally did. He frowned, hands gripping the helm as he steered the ship along its course. The captain had purposely avoided his room the entire week. He kept himself busy with other things and tried to ignore the side comments of his men and women murmuring about the excessive amount of work he was doing.

The circles under his eyes were darker than usual and his head ached for no apparent reason other than exhaustion. His sister had interrogated him today demanding to know what was going on. In all honesty Gaara would like to know that himself, he really had no reason to be avoiding the merman in his cabin. Yet he just couldn't bring himself to go back. He still didn't have an answer for the creature, he didn't even have an answer for himself. Thankfully Temari was content with the information about the merman losing its tail and believed that Gaara was simply upset that it ruined his plans for selling it. She shrugged the misfortune off and ordered her brother to get some sleep.

"He says he's sorry."

The sudden voice behind him made the captain whip around, violently pulling him from his thoughts.

"He seems to think that whatever he said made you upset and that's why you haven't returned." The elderly doctor remained unphased by the redheads scowl.

Gaara turned back around and continued to steer in silence. He thought about the golden hair and sad blue eyes locked away in his quarters. He hadn't even decided what he was going to do with the merman since he couldn't sell it. The frown lines on his forehead deepened at the weight of his thoughts. Why was he so worked up about this? Why was he so frustrated by the mermans question? It's true that his deal involved the creature to be taken care of but now that Gaara thought about it all the merman had asked for was to not be harmed. So why did he offer that? Why was this bothering him so much? Probably because he had been ignoring that internal question himself and couldn't understand the root cause of his random merciful actions most of the time and now this being pointed it out to him he just couldn't let it pass anymore.

"Get some rest tonight, lad. It's been over a week since you last slept, you're overdue. I'll prepare some medicine to help you."

Gaara simply nodded and heard her footsteps fade behind him. How he dreaded sleeping, especially when stressed. Thankfully the herbal medication helped ease the terrors and his frail human self needed to sleep at some point. He passed the helm over to Kankuro after a they got close enough to see the island on the horizon and returned to his room for the first time that week.

When he entered his eyes found the pile of blankets that covered the figure he had been evading. The fabric moving steadily with the rhythmic breathing of the creature. Gaara inhaled, trying calm the unrelenting ache in his head. He sat, placing his elbows on the arm rests and gently massaging his temples in hopes that the medicine would arrive soon. The lights of the lanterns on the docks glowed brightly in the haze of dusk as they approached the port and the outline of taverns and brothels came into view when the ship was finally brought into the harbor. He watched out the window as most of his crew trailed onto the wooden dock and disappeared into the various establishments with laughter and enthusiasm. Normally he would join them, lingering in the back of the bar with a few drinks and gambling if he felt particularly rowdy. This time however he was grateful for the quiet and hoped to take this opportunity to sleep without incident.

Movement in his peripheral vision alerted him to the blond waking up. Gaara remained facing the window, legs crossed and relaxed in position not giving off any indication that he noticed the blue eyes staring at him.

"Hi" it's voice was full of sleep.

The captain briefly glanced over, finally setting his sight on the merman before returning them to the window with a slight nod of acknowledgement. There was a few moments of awkward silence before it spoke again.

"Um, so…. I wanted to apologize if what I said made you upset. I didn't mean to be ungrateful or anything. Really I should have just thanked you for going out of your way to heal me and not locking me up or killing me. I guess I was just confused cause the other pirates were nothing like you or the old one and they were really cruel and had a lot of other humans and weird beasts that they were torturing, but you are being kind even though I'm still technically not free. And I know things can be a lot worse so um… what I'm trying to say is ah… thank you." The creature rambled on, laughing nervously as he finished.

The captain finally turned his head and regarded the figure sitting naked in his bed for a moment. "Don't thank me just yet. I still haven't decided what I'm going to do with you. You may regret saying all that."

He watched the ocean eyes dart around the room in anxiety at that statement. It furrowed its brow slightly and responded. "Heh, maybe. Still, you're the kindest human I've encountered so far. It would be rude of me to not be at least a little appreciative regardless of what happens to me in the future."

Gaara said nothing and returned his gaze to look outside once more. The creature followed it and seemed to realize they had stopped at a well known pirates port. It stood and slowly walked over to get a better view.

"So, what happens now?" The slight inflection of the blond's voice hinted at its apprehension.

The captain sighed and stood, opening a drawer to pull out some clothing. "What will happen is, I am going to attempt to sleep and you will make yourself somewhat presentable for my sister who is listening at the door."

"Hurry up, your tea is getting cold." Temari's agitated voice sounded through the wooden entrance once she had been found out.

The redhead handed his trousers and shirt to the merman and watched it hold them up in confusion. Gaara realized the creature was unfamiliar with human clothing and began helping the blond dress.

"Lift up your arms."

The blond complied as the shirt slipped over his head and onto his body.

"Why do I have to wear these?" The merman stepped into the pants and gave the captain a confused look as the fabric was pulled up around his waist.

"Because humans consider nudity immodest and rude, especially in the presence of a woman." Gaara gestured for the now dressed creature to sit in the chair he had previously occupied.

"You don't seem to mind it."

"I am indifferent to many things. My sister is not." The man answered simply before opening the door to let his first mate in.

"Here" she shoved the cup of herbal liquid into his hands as she strode in and cornered the merman sitting by the window.

"Um.. hello?" It shied away as the woman began inspecting and poking at it lightly with her finger.

"Amazing. He really does have legs." She called back to Gaara.

"Ow! Hey, that hurt!" A tan hand swatted her away as she yanked on his bandaged feet roughly.

"Enough Temari. I'm sure he went through enough probing on the serpent ship." He narrowed his eyes in warning as she frowned back at him but obeyed and halted her manhandling.

The captain shrugged out of his coat and hung it on a hook. It had been a while since he had even seen his bed much less slept in it. He kicked off his boots and chugged the lukewarm tea mixture of various foul tasting roots and powders before collapsing into his pillow.

"Sleep, baby brother." He heard his sister lightly whisper as she covered him with a blanket.

He felt his mind start to haze as he took a deep breath, inhaling an unfamiliar scent that clung to his sheets. It enveloped him, lulling him deeper into the nothingness of slumber. His last coherent thought was that he decided he did not unlike the smell that lingered in his bed as sleep overtook him.

X_X_X

"So mermen cannot sing like sirens do?"

"Well, not really. When sirens sing they are able to control humans minds with their songs. Mermen can sing but we are only empaths." Naruto tapped his fingers on his chin as he thought.

The woman, although brash and a tad scary, turned out to be pleasant company. And after an entire week alone the bond was so thankful for the conversation. She proved to be curious about merfolk after some initial cautious questions and once she seemed satisfied that Naruto was not a threat her inquiries multiplied.

"Empath? What do you mean by that?" She quirked a brow.

"We can sense emotions but only in if they are in a concentrated amount, I guess. So usually it's intense feelings that we can pick up on. Mermen are only able to alter emotional states. Ease grief, calm anger, induce joy. Of course there's a limit, it doesn't last forever and we can't use it on ourselves." He explained and rested his head in his hands.

"Oh, interesting." She seemed to be in slight thought before a groan from the bed grabbed her attention.

She glanced out the window at the position of the moon before approaching the sleeping captain. "It's only been about four hours. The doctor didn't make it strong enough, I suppose."

"Why doesn't he sleep normally?" It's was a quiet question. Naruto was afraid it might be overstepping, but he hoped the woman would be more open than the captain.

She sat at the edge of the bed and sighed. "He has had much trouble sleeping for a long time. The doctor has been able to help with it on occasion but sometimes it doesn't work for whatever reason."

It didn't answer his question but he figured she would only continue to evade it so he simply nodded. Another painful moan slipped from the man and his body started to writhe in the sheets, twisting them around his legs in a tangled mess.

"Gaara, wake up." She called his name and gently cupped his cheek.

His hand were balled into fists and his shirt was drenched with sweat as she worked to pull off the blanket. "Gaara, it's me. Wake up."

She began to jostle his shoulders and tap on his chest rapidly. He gave no indication that he heard her as his moaning quickly turned to cries and short screams. His irregular gasps for air in between outcries indicated his sudden spike of distress. The woman worked hastily to stir the captain out of his sleep but was unable to disturb his trance.

Naruto took a tentative step back, a heavy sense of dread welling in the pit of his stomach. He had very well sensed an ominous force in the Hebi captain and its crew the minute he was caught but it was nothing compared so the dark emptiness that resided in the man thrashing about. It had been hidden so well, perfectly contained inside him. Now it sprung free, seeming to want to swallow the captain whole.

"Damn it Gaara!" Temari struck her brothers face with the open palm of her hand.

The resounding slap rung in the merman's ears. Hypnotic green eyes shot open as a pale hand forcefully dashed out to grab the woman by her face. The movements were faster than lightning and Temari was forcefully slammed back into the wall, the redhead holding her aloft as his fingers squeezed her by the throat. His wrathful gaze was unseeing, he was acting subconsciously trying to fight off whatever demons plagued his mind.

"Gaara-.." the first mate had trouble choking out words as her windpipe was being crushed. "Wake...up"

Naruto gasped in surprise at the sudden assault, mind reeling around the large amount of emotions both humans were now eliciting. Fear, confusion, sorrow, anger, they all hit him like a wave and tossing him about in a raging sea.

The women's pleading teal eyes caught the blond, a request for help. "Sing..." Her choked voice rasped out as she tried to kick at the captain.

His mouth trembled as his vision blurred with overwhelming tears. His throat was dry as the first few words tumbled from his lips in a stuttered catastrophe. His words were turning to ash in his mouth. He couldn't do it, his voice was failing him.

He ran, grabbing at the bucket of water that had been brought for washing. The merman threw it at the man, soaking his hands in the process. "Stop it!" Naruto had managed to shout as the cold liquid drenched both siblings.

Emerald eyes blinked slowly, taking in his sister in his grasp. He immediately released her and watched her passively as she slid to the floor. Once he realized what he had done he dropped to his knees.

"Temari, are you alright?"

She massaged her neck gingerly, offering a smile to her brother before responding. "I'll survive."

"I'm sorry." The captain looked away ashamed.

"Gaara, I've wrestled you to the ground and kicked you in the balls during an episode before. I hardly think this warrants any offense on my part." She mustered a laugh, trying to lighten her brothers spirits.

"Maybe Kankuro should watch over me from now on." He reached out a hand and helped her to stand.

"Ha! You'd both end up killing each other." She snorted.

Naruto watched their interaction from the floor as his tail had sprouted again from the splash of the bucket and rendered him unable to walk for the moment. He felt the emotion from before fade away as the captain had regained his right state of mind. All he felt was worry from the woman, but the man became the impassive figure from before. Regaining control and carefully hiding anything, placing it back under lock and key.

"I'm getting harder to wake. I may end up killing you one of these days." He spoke bluntly.

She shook her head, refusing to accept his words. "We'll figure something out. I'll let the doctor know you are awake. She can make another-"

"No. It's fine. I've had enough sleep." The redhead had cut her off.

"Gaara…"

"It's fine. I'll be alright for a few days." His words were almost reassuring if they weren't laced with a warning in its tone.

She grunted in exasperation but didn't argue it further. "I still need to let the old woman know. Are you alright if I go to her? I could send Kankuro in…"

He gave her an impatient look that made the woman roll her eyes as she got up and left. The captain watched her exit and turned to the creature on the floor only after they were alone.

"I'm guessing the reason why my sister is still alive is because of you." He spoke calmly as he crouched down to speak to Naruto.

"I- I'm sorry. I didn't know what else to do. You wouldn't wake up so I threw a bucket of water at you." He swallowed around the lump in his throat that had begun to form.

The man moved in his silent and gentle way that the merman had begun to miss over the days of solitude. The captain lifted him from the wooden surface and set him down to a sitting position on the bed. He grabbed the sheets that had become crumpled hanging off the edge of the mattress and used them to dry off the blond. Naruto's breath hitched as pale hands grabbed for his and began wiping at the droplets that scattered on his forearms and fingers.

"Are you afraid of me now." The man never halted as he continued to absorb the water with the material.

Naruto looked away, silently remembering the terror radiating from the human just moments ago. "No."

The redhead raised a brow in slight surprise. "Why not?"

"Because you're more afraid of yourself than I could ever be. I think that'll suffice for the both of us." He smiled at the intrigued look that briefly passed the man's face.

The captain scoffed slightly and stood, pulling his wet shirt over his head. The fabric fell to the floor with a slight squelch as he searched for another. The blond curiously eyed the lean human figure as he waited for his own legs to return. He turned his face to stare at his tail instead, not wanting to be caught gaping at the captain and save him the embarrassment.

Any minute now his feet would return and he wouldn't have to see his sorry excuse of a fin anymore. Any minute and he could wobble over to the window and stare at all the humans with their bad singing and slurred speech, stumbling over themselves to follow women in odd clothing. Anything to distract him from asking the pirate intrusive questions that burned in his head, risking putting him off which would leave Naruto alone again.

"You have questions." The statement was emotionless.

Naruto looked up as the man was now dressed and stood by the glass that gave him a view of the port down below.

"It seems like a private matter." The blond answered and wiggled his toes slowly as his tail had disappeared yet again.

There was silence that stretched out between them. Naruto wasn't sure if that meant he should ask anyway. He studied the face of the man, but the mask had been set back in its place. Never cracking or yielding to whatever thoughts swam in the pirates head. He took a breath and spoke knowing the man wouldn't answer if he didn't feel like it.

"Why can't you sleep normally?"

He wasn't sure how many minutes passed before the captain turned, facing Naruto with a familiar guarded expression.

"Ghosts." The one worded answer was enough to allow the blond to begin to piece it together.

"You are haunted by the shadows of men?" Blue eyes reflected a silent understanding.

The captain kept his attention on the merman in his bed, no indication that he was going to speak.

"Why won't they leave you alone?" The blond had heard stories of humans and their specters that stayed tied to the living and haunted their every move, but usually it was because of guilt or vengeance that they lingered. He had not sense any of those earlier when the man had lost control.

"I won't let them go" the man's voice was low and steady.

Naruto was uncertain if he should continue to ask. He spoke despite himself. "Why not?"

"Because they made me who I am. I am nothing without them."

The creature watched the pirate soundlessly exit the room, leaving him alone once more.


	3. Siren Songs

Naruto was slightly relieved when he heard the door to the cabin unlock a few hours later. He turned from his spot at the window and watched the captain enter carrying a platter of food. He was unsure if their previous conversation had upset the man. It was hard to tell, he wore his usual mask of indifference as he set the meal down on the table. The blond silently took a seat next to the pirate and uncovered his breakfast.

"I can help you." The creature spoke after some time, breaking the silence as he ate.

The captain merely raised a brow and inclined his head curiously.

"With your sleep. I think I can help you."

"And exactly how is it you plan to help?" The man had picked up a book and seemed to allow his attention to focus solely on the words in its pages as he responded absently.

"With my song-" the blonde was cut off before he could finish explaining.

"Absolutely not."

"Oh don't be like that. Your sister and I had this conversation last night. Mermans songs aren't the same as sirens." Naruto tried to argue back.

The pirate frowned and averted his attention back to the book.

The merman took a deep breath and tried again. "It was just a suggestion. I don't want you to feel like I'm useless, so let me try to help you."

"No"

"Your sister can be here to keep an eye on me while I sing, we can cover her ears so my song won't affect her. She can make sure you're safe if that's what you're worried about." He continued to pester the matter.

Green eyes finally looked up glaring daggers at Naruto. The blond shut his mouth and gave a heavy sigh as he went back to staring at his plate.

"Sorry, I'm just tired of feeling like an incompetent burden." He mumbled more to himself than anything and pushed away his half eaten meal.

Defeated, Naruto got up from his chair and crawled back into bed. He knew throwing a tantrum over it and feeling sorry for himself was overly dramatic for him to act with the pirate who had treated him well so far. He just wanted to be helpful and be given some sense of purpose because this current situation was making him lose hope in himself. He felt in debt to the man and the doctor for healing him and if he was able to be beneficial to the captain there was less of a chance that he would be sold, or traded or whatever fate the man was deciding on. The obstinate pirate. If Naruto could speak to the woman again perhaps she would agree to it and be able to convince the man to let him try. The blond would have to wait however until she came to watch over him again. Requesting to speak with her might make the captain wary of his intention and he'd just strike the whole thing down before the merman got the chance to explain his idea to her. He rolled over on the mattress to face the redhead still reading his book. Stupid stubborn man.

X_X

It was a few days until the woman returned to watch over her brother as he attempted again to get some rest. The captain lay sprawled on his bedding, Naruto watched his slow and steady breathing as he slept. He cleared his throat tentatively to get the first mate's attention. She glanced up from the chart she was reviewing, meeting his deep ocean eyes.

"Yes?"

"I have a proposition."

The woman blinked for a moment before smirking in interest. "A proposition you say? Shouldn't you bring up any requests with the captain?"

"Well…. he didn't exactly see eye to eye with me on it." The merman anxiously drummed his fingers on the wooden table.

"Go on."

Naruto took a deep breath before speaking. "I believe I may be of some help with his current sleeping issues. If I can use my song to keep him in a calm emotional state, it should keep him from having aggressive terrors. "

Temari frowned as she looked back down at the map laid out before her. She stayed silent for so long that Naruto was afraid she would take the idea worse than the captain had. He took a deep breath and decided he may as well defend his idea to the best of his abilities.

"I want to help him. He saved my life and went out of his way to make sure I healed after my time with those other pirates. I'd like to be of some use on this ship if I can help it. I know that if he wanted to kill me he would have done so already, so I am just trying to do what I can to pay him back for letting me live."

The woman sat back, listening to the blond speak. Her eyes darted to her sibling with the dark circles under his eyes. Naruto could sense the worry rolling off of her like waves as it welled in the pit of his stomach.

"This is a very sensitive topic, boy."

The blond let his shoulders drop in defeat. He should have figured as much, the sister was very protective of the captain. She wouldn't want to risk it if there was a chance that something could go wrong. He supposed that he'd just have to figure out some other way to be useful to the man who saved his life, despite the fact that he really didn't have many other beneficial talents.

"If I agree to this there will be some ground rules." The woman stared harshly at the blue eyed creature.

"Of course." Naruto tried not to look too excited about the fact that the first mate was going to give him a chance.

"Obviously, no harm to my brother. This is just to keep him calm enough to sleep through a reasonable amount of hours. Any signs of harm or discomfort from your song and I will slit your throat on the spot."

The blond nodded vigorously, that rule was a given.

"Gaara can't find out that you are doing this. He has already disagreed to it. If he found out I gave you permission behind his back, he will not be fun to deal with." She narrowed her eyes at the merman.

"I can keep a secret."

"Also I will be here at all times to monitor him while you sing. You are not to sing unless I am here to watch over the both of you. I'll cover my ears but make no mistake that I will not hesitate to kill you if I see something go wrong, is that clear?"

"Perfectly clear." Naruto shuddered with wide eyes as her deadly gaze bore into him.

"Good. We'll try it out tonight if he begins to have a terror, which he normally does after about five hours of sleep. That should be in thirty minutes." She checked her pocket watch as she spoke.

Naruto sat anxiously in a chair next to the slumbering captain. He watched the redhead intently while waiting for him to begin to show signs of nightmares. Naruto could do this, easy. Just like his mother taught him, let the song connect and weave the way for the emotion you want them to portray. He new all the words of the lullaby his mother sang him by heart, he wouldn't fail this time around.

The pirate let out a slight moan and began to shift uncomfortably in his tangled sheets. His brow furrowed and Naruto could sense the beginnings of those jumble of feelings that took over the captain last time. He turned to Temari who stood next to the creature and watched her stuff her ears with a fluffy type of material and place her hands over them before nodding she was ready.

The merman inhaled and let the familiar words spill from his lips as he exhaled, letting the song connect him to the man tormented by his dreams. The blond's breath hitched as he felt the sharp pain tighten in his chest and the crushing sense of fear hover over him. The man was dragging around so much pent up emotional trauma, how could he stand to live like this? Naruto reached out his hand and lightly placed it on top of the pale fingers gripping at the mattress. A small physical connection to help ground him and control the massive amount of emotions he needed to tame. He let the song weave its way through the clouded mind and heart, finding anchor in the corporeal contact and began sending soothing and calming feelings to overtake the chaotic mess.

Gaara's hands released the fabrics beneath him and his face fell back into its peaceful state as Naruto ended his song and opened his eyes again. He looked up at the woman nodding that it was ok for her to uncover her ears now.

"He should be good until morning." Naruto stood and spoke as he tried to catch his breath. All that emotion from the pirate left him winded and dizzy.

"You don't look so good." Temari's voice came as the blonde swayed on his feet

"It was a lot…" Naruto couldn't remember if he finished his sentence. The next thing he knew was darkness and nothing more.

X_X

Gaara woke to the rays of sun peeking through his window. He felt that it should have been odd but given the fact that he felt so well rested but he really didn't care. Wait, well rested? A little red flag raised up in his mind. He sat up and found his sister staring out the window.

"What did you do?" The pirate glared at the woman, knowing fully she was behind how well he felt.

"I did nothing. Can't you just be grateful that you finally got a decent nights rest for the first time in over fifteen years?"

"Tch" Garra impatiently raised a brow, waiting for an answer. He easily saw through that statement.

The woman finally gave up and sighed, "It was the merman."

She pointed to the chair in the corner of the room where he was propped up and passed out. Gaara quickly stood and kneeled next to the creature, lopsided on the seat. The captain tapped his arm lightly but there was no response, he shook the mermans shoulder with moderate force but the creature was out cold.

"What happened?" Cold green eyes threatened his sister.

She avoided his gaze and shrugged in response. "He said he could help you and it worked. He just passed out after his song so I don't know what's going on."

"How long has he been out?"

"A few hours. Maybe four or five." She stood facing her brother now and argued her defense. "I did it to help you. Even though you said no, he wanted so badly to help. I let him."

Gaara held in his anger for the moment and let out a sharp breath before speaking in a calm voice. "I know you meant well Temari, both of you. Please call for the doctor."

The woman left swiftly as her brother dismissed her. He lifted the blond and lay him to rest on his bed. The golden hair glinted in the light as Gaara stared down at the foolish stubborn merman. He had said no for a reason, his personal pain was hard to bear and it wasn't right to ask for someone else to lift the burden of his penance. He needed to remember his anguish, he needed to know of his sins and serve his just punishment. It was who he was, it was the only thing defining him.

The old lady barged through the door with the first mate in tow. "What is it now?"

"He's been unconscious for hours." Gaara sighed and moved so the doctor could analyze the merman.

Chiyo began taking his vitals and observing the way his pupils dilated as she opened his eyes. She listened to his breathing and felt his pulse and temperature before turning back and muttering to herself as she made way for the door.

"It's just exhaustion. He'll wake up when he's ready. Stop calling me for every little thing that happens to him lad, I've got the rest of the crew to tend to. I have enough of their whining I don't need to add yours to it." She slammed the door on her way out.

Temari rolled her eyes at the old woman. "It must have just worn him out then."

Gaara grunted in response and took a seat next to the bed.

"It did work well even if he passed out from it. You slept soundly, like a drunken pirate back from a night at the taverns."

"Don't let him do it again." the captain scolded the woman.

"Oh, don't try to tell me that wasn't the best sleep of your life. You said it yourself, you are getting harder to wake from your terrors. Sure, the merman may just need some rest after he sings but isn't it a better alternative to putting me in a life threatening position on a weekly basis?" Temari raised her voice at her brother.

Gaara knew when she raised her voice she meant business. This argument was not going to change her mind. Especially since she did have a point, an exhausted merman was a better outcome than a dead sister. He scrubbed his face with his hands in aggravation. Curse his sister for being right and knowing it.

"I don't like people prodding around in my mind." He tried one last time, for the sake of his pride, to argue.

She angrily placed her hands on her hips as she spat back "Well maybe if you let him explain to you instead of shutting him down right away you would have known that he cannot control minds or even see your thoughts. All he does is sense and manipulate emotion, nothing more."

Gaara frowned at the woman. It was not often that she fought him on a decision he made and he knew she was making perfect sense. He glanced back at the figure in his bed and sighed. This would give him just reason to keep the blond without his crew wondering what would become of the sea dweller after all. Perhaps this could work out well after all.

"Alright. We'll see how the merman is feeling when he wakes up and decide based on how he feels about it."

X_X

Naruto agreed to do it again. One hundred percent positive he wanted to help. After the initial bickering with the redhead and assuring him he was perfectly fine, they came to an agreement that the blond would sing to the captain, so the man could get a full night's rest, under his sisters watch. He was ecstatic that it worked and he was finally able to do something other than sleep and eat all day. He was happy that his life had some purpose, happy that he could be of help to someone.

It's started off with twice a week, Gaara's normal sleeping schedule. With more practice Naruto began to strengthen his empathetic ability and after a few weeks was finally able to complete his song without passing out. It now only left him slightly sleepy. After the merman got a handle on his song he urged the captain to add another night. With some hesitation the redhead finally agreed, the sleep he was getting proved to be immensely helpful in reducing his daily stress. After a month they fell into a routine, every other night they would wait for the first mate to show up with the doctors tea and Naruto would wait to sing away the terrors and fears that would come at night and try to overtake the pirate.

They waited for the woman to arrive as the merman stared out the window at the ocean waves lapping against the hull. Some days he would have given anything to just jump back into the water and swim home, straight into his mother's arms. Other days he remembered why he had swam off in the first place, hell bent on escaping his life despite the queens warnings. He ran away from home and now he had a dull pain in his chest making him feel guilty knowing she was probably distraught when she woke up to find him gone. How heartbroken she must feel at losing her son as well.

He knew he could never be who she was trying to make him become. He couldn't sit back and let himself be courted to the powerful mermaids for political good and stay in the castle, while everyone whispered behind his back about how his father betrayed them all. Other than his two friends he managed to make, most of his own people saw him as a joke anyway, a useless spoiled guppy and son of a traitor. Naruto grew up sheltered in a sense but there was never anyone to push sympathy on Naruto's behalf when he got into trouble, no one to pay enough attention to him as his mother was constantly busy, and his never ending questions about humans that dwelled on the surface always remained unanswered. Never fitting in no matter how hard he tried and never really accepted because of something his father did long ago. Years of silence, ignoring horrible side comments and obeying his mother's commands, he couldn't take it anymore. He didn't want that for the rest of his life.

A voice brought the blond out of his deep thoughts. "You miss the ocean."

"Yes, sometimes." Naruto turned back to see the captain watching him.

"You have a family?"

The merman scratched at the back of his head as he responded. "Just my mother."

Gaara's gaze didn't waver as he asked the next question, "Do you wish to return to the ocean?"

Naruto paused, unsure of how he should respond. What was it that the pirate wanted to hear exactly? The truth. Something about the way he asked made the blond know he wouldn't accept anything less than an honest reply.

"I'm not sure. I guess it doesn't matter, I don't really have a place there anymore. I'm not sure I had much of a place there to begin with."

The man stayed silent and observing. Naruto now knew this was his way of asking him to continue if he'd like. The merman sighed as he began to explain.

"I never really fit in well, the others didn't like me for stupid reasons. My mother also expects me to do things that I do not wish to do and to become someone I do not want to become. I guess I left for that reason, I wanted to find a place where I belonged. I just hadn't planned on getting caught by pirates. That really was my fault though, I let my curiosity get the best of me. I mean I had been above surface before but that was my chance to observe humans closely. I should have just listened to my mother when she told me to stay away from them."

He was rambling, he knew it. He couldn't stop himself as the words continued to spill out of his mouth. "Now thanks, to that stupid decree my mother has to uphold I am shunned from all the societies of the seven kingdoms even though I'm a prince because I thought it would be a great idea to interact with humans. You'd figure I would have learned after my father was ousted from society. And you know what my father did to warrant his banishment? He saved some human child from drowning. He did what was right and he was treated like a criminal for it, called a traitor and my mother could do nothing to stop it from happening. She's one of the seven queens of the entire ocean and she can't do a thing about this stupid law, so even if I wanted to go back I couldn't. Not to mention my poor excuse of a tail fin. I wouldn't even be able to swim straight if I tried. The first passing shark would catch me and have me for lunch." Naruto realized he giving a long winded explanation and stopped himself short.

"The ocean no longer has a place for me." He ended his rant with a sigh.

"You're a prince?" The captain's voice finally came forward after a minute of quiet.

Oops, Naruto hadn't meant to reveal that bit of information. "Technically not anymore, I'm stripped of any title, position or family name because I broke Siren law. I'm just a nobody who doesn't belong." He grumbled as he took a seat and let his head rest on the tabletop.

"I see." The redhead was considering the merman before he continued to speak. "I am sorry about your troubles."

"No, please. It's not even your fault or anything. I'm sorry, I probably said way too much and you probably don't even really care that much about all of my issues. I just get sort of upset and go on a tirade." the blond quickly dismissed the pirates response.

"Understood." Gaara kept his eyes on the creature across from him.

"You are always welcome to speak freely with me. I hope you know that." The captain offered.

"Oh. Thank you. I'll keep that in mind." Naruto laughed nervously.

Temari came just in time with Gaara's herbal tea and handed it over to him as he moved to his bed. The woman took a seat after waving him off and went back to work on the handkerchief she had been trying to embroider for the past week. The merman sat at the edge of the mattress while the man lay waiting for sleep. He let that last remark the pirate had said to him play back in his mind. He had enjoyed his conversations with the man and for what it was worth his time aboard the Alacrán was probably the first time in his life that he was listened to, not treated like an outcast and actually felt like he could speak his mind.

"Before, you said I probably didn't care about your problems. That's not true. I do care about you." Pale fingers touched the blond's arm as his voice came in a low groggy whisper.

The merman felt a blush creep over his face as the redhead gave a slight grin and drifted off to sleep.

X_X

Gaara woke to the sunlight streaming into his cabin, eyes adjusting to the brightness of the room. He felt the familiar weight of someone next to him as he slowly stretched out and looked over to find the merman laying on his side, light snores escaping with heavy breaths. He was used to it now that had begun to wake up to that over the past few months, especially once Temari announced she felt her presence was no longer needed to watch a grown man sleep. There hadn't been a terror since Naruto had begun singing to him and after a few weeks the first mate had run out of things to keep her occupied during the nights. She declared her trust that the merman wouldn't stab him unknowingly and argued that she needed her rest just as much as they did. So it was now just the blond and him at night, sharing a bed as the song made Naruto sleepy afterwards.

The captain studied the figure next to him like he did almost mornings. The scars on his face were still prominent but not unsightly like the creature claimed. Gaara reached out to sweep a few golden strands of hair falling into his face as his other cheek was pressed into the pillow. There was little that the redhead had trouble coming to a decision on, but the merman next to him was definitely giving him a run for his money. He didn't unlike Naruto's company and being able to sleep relatively normally, he just didn't know where that left him. All his life he had been tormented by the demons and monsters that made him the stoic, cold and calculating man he was today. Now, now he was temporarily free from it. His heart felt lighter than it had in years, all thanks to a song he had never even heard while awake. Thanks to a creature he decided to have mercy for and save. It's almost as if fate knew to bring them together and give the man a break from his emotional chains. He made up his mind then and there to go through with the idea he had been considering for a few weeks.

He slowly got up and got dressed, making sure to stay quiet enough as to not disturb the sleeping creature. He brought in a tray of breakfast and sat in a chair waiting, thinking, rehearsing in his mind what he was going to say to the blond. He hoped Naruto would accept, hoped the creature would be excited, hoped this was something he could offer as a thanks.

"Morning." The merman yawned out as he rolled over and got out of bed.

Gaara greeted him with a small smile, amused at the hair that stood up in all directions.

"Ooo breakfast! Smells great." Naruto sat down opposite of the man and uncovered his tray of food eagerly.

They exchanged small pleasantries while they ate. Once the plates were cleared the captain cleared his throat to speak.

"There's something I would like to ask you. An offer, if you will."

"Offer?" The blond's ears perked up at the word.

"Yes. I suppose I already consider you as this but I would like to make it official, that is if you agree to it."

"Oh?"

Gaara took in a deep breath before his question. "How would you like to become part of my crew?"

There was a silence as the merman blinked, trying to comprehend exactly what he was being asked.

"You could belong here. With me, ah- us. With the crew, as family." The redhead continued, hoping he was making sense.

"And if I refuse?" Naruto blurted out.

Gaara frowned "Your choice will be respected and our original agreement will remain."

They exchanged slight glances before the blond burst out into a wide smile followed by laughter.

Naruto made a show of standing and giving a wobbly bow the best he could. "I would love to be part of your crew, _Captain Sabaku._ "

X_X

Naruto was beaming with excitement as the pirate lead him out to the main deck and called all his crew to gather. The fresh sea breeze felt amazing on his skin and the salty smell of the air filled his lungs with vigor. He glanced around as people began to crowd around, there were so many men and women of all ages and sizes. This was the most humans the merman had ever seen. He saw the old doctor to the side and waved to her as she returned it with a sour expression and a sigh. Temari was there too with a quirked brow, obviously curious at what her brother was about to do. The creature was fascinated as he watched the way they interacted with each other.

"Alright, shut your unsightly mouths." A hooded man waved aggressively and gestured for the captain to speak once the crew had quieted.

"Thank you, Kankuro." Gaara turned from the man and addressed those gathered. "We have a new member of our crew. This is Naruto, some of you may remember him as the merman we brought on board months ago. He has earned my trust and the trust of my first mate. He has also accepted my offer to become part of our family, treat him as such."

A resounding "Aye, Captain!" came before they were all dismissed and ordered to get back to work. A few of them came forward and introduced themselves to their new member while Gaara was preoccupied with his siblings. He met a rather large man with a missing hand who introduced himself as the ship's cook, named Baki. A loud woman with interesting colored hair named Fuu, and a man who claimed to man the cannons and explosives, named Deidara. They all welcomed him and made friendly conversation until they were shooed off by the hooded figure.

"Kankuro, I'm Gaara's brother. We've met but I don't believe we've been formally introduced. Those guys always leave me to handle things so I don't get a whole lot of free time cause I'm basically the one running this shitshow." The man shook Naruto's hand and explained until he was cut off by his sister.

"You're always slacking off, don't give me that load of horse manure. Get back to the crow's nest." She glared at him as he rolled his eyes and threw and obscene hand gesture her way before climbing up to his position.

Gaara approached and offered the merman his arm for better balance as they began to walk the ship. The blond happily hobbled along, listening to the redhead speak and explain more about his ship and crew. Naruto observed all the people as they worked, amazed that they were all so different. Some were young and their skin was covered in ink pictures, others were missing limbs or appendages. Some had golden teeth or long beards, there were tall pirates and short ones, well dressed and hardly dressed. It seemed like anyone and everyone was accepted here. Nobody gave his scars a second glance or the fact that his feet were missing toes and marred a second thought. They didn't expect him to be perfect or quiet or polite, and certainly nobody called him traitor blood. The blond smiled to himself, so he wasn't a prince anymore. So he couldn't return to the sea again. He felt like he finally found people who accepted him just the way he was. He found a family that didn't want to change him or make him do things he didn't feel comfortable doing. He had finally found a place he could belong.


	4. Things of the Past

Naruto learned several things during the past nine months on the Alacran. The first was that Gaara was dangerous if you were his enemy. The pirate never hesitated to cut someone down if they stood against him, skillfully evading blows, clashing blades, and painting himself in crimson blood splatter. It was a merciless dance to watch, but no matter how vicious Naruto could never look away as he flew through their enemies. It was an art, the way the pirate move so rapidly, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake.

The second thing the merman learned was that Gaara was stupidly loyal. Now the crew was quite capable but the captain never hesitated to jump in front of particularly sharp sword if it meant he could protect one of his from harm. For all the caution the man seemed to carry, it was thrown to the wind if one of his crew was endangered. It was a well understood notion. The crew put their faith in the man and what kind of leader would Gaara be if he didnt risk himself on their behalf from time to time.

The third thing was that Gaara had a reputation.

He happened to overhear it when they stopped at a particular port for supplies. Wandering a small ways from the redhead to take a look at a merchant selling shiny objects that glimmered in the sun. A silver haired pirate with a missing eye was conversing in a hidden alleyway with a woman, her hair long and dark with pale eyes that could have seen straight into your soul. He hadn't meant to eavesdrop really, but Naruto couldn't help listening when Gaara's name was mentioned. He hid himself off to the side, leaning in to catch what they were saying.

"Sabaku's docked, word is he's got a mermaid on board."

"Oh? Does he plan to sell?" the woman's voice was soft.

The pirate gave a chuckle, "No, I hear he's made it part of his crew."

"You sure he doesn't have the poor creature locked up in their brig?"

"Who knows. I hear he's been playing nice as of late but a monster like that doesn't just stop being a monster."

"True, I don't know which is one worse. The scorpion or the snake?" She mused.

"Gaara has more blood on his hands than any pirate I've known. Sasuke doesn't even come close to the bloodlust of Sabaku."

Naruto flinched, he knew that Gaara had killed before. He had seen him take out enemies with ease, he was a pirate after all. It was expected. But the way these two spoke of him, it was like he had a madness about him. They feared it. The blond slowly stood, deciding to leave before they noticed him. He turned around to leave only to find himself face to face with those emerald eyes and flaming hair. A slight gasp escaped his mouth before a pale hand was brought up to cover it and stop him from making any noise. The captain put a finger to his lips signaling for him to remain silent.

"I heard the cobra has been looking for him." The woman's voice was lower than before, hard to make out amidst the noisy port.

"What for?" The man's curiosity was evident.

"Sabaku's got something that belongs to him apparently." Naruto stiffened at that, there were very few things in Gaara possession that could possibly my belong to Sasuke. He silently prayed to Poseidon that he was not that something.

He'd rather stay with Gaara and risk being murdered in a fit of rage than ever go back with Sasuke. At least the redhead had made an effort to treat him well despite the fact that others believed him to be some kind of monster. Would Gaara give him up if Sasuke was looking for him? He was part of the crew though, the man would never betray his own crew. Would he? Naruto was completely unaware of when Captain Sabaku grabbed the mermans hand and lead them off after that. It wasn't until he was sitting in the sand that he registered he was no longer at the crowded port.

"I had a feeling they would come looking for me. Took them long enough." The pirate finally spoke as he pulled out a small bottle of rum from his bag.

Naruto looked at the sand, too scared to ask his question. He inhaled and worked up the courage to finally say something after a few minutes of silence had passed. "Is he… Is Captain Uchiha going to take me with him again?"

The blond watched the man nearly choke on his drink, coughing up a fit before it finally subsided enough for the pirate to respond. "What?"

"Please don't make me go back with them. I'd rather kill myself than end up on that ship again."

Gaara reached into his coat pocket to pull out some worn pages and waved them in the creatures face to get him to stop panicking. "Calm yourself. This is what they want." he handed over the documents so the merman could see.

"Wait so they aren't after me?" Naruto noticed the pages had been ripped from something, but the language was absolute gibberish to him.

"Absolutely not. And if so what makes you think I would just hand you over to them so easily? Have you no faith in your Captain?' There was a sadness in the man's voice as he said that, it was brief but there. " I ripped these pages as insurance when we traded the Book of Souls for you. They must have finally realized they were missing."

Naruto stared at his hands briefly, "I'm sorry. I just... It was a really bad time for me while I was on that ship. I don't ever want to go back."

"What do you remember about it?" The pirate took another drink and offered the bottle to the figure next to him.

Naruto accepted and brought it to his lips. The torture he felt on that ship would take a lifetime to forget. The pain inflicted on him until he passed out would always linger in his mind. Endless days of prodding and experiments, knives and needles, everything becoming a seamless blur in the end. He responded with a soft sigh.

"Pain mostly. At first it was small experiments, careful prodding, small cuts. After a while it was just cruel and unending. I don't remember much after the first month aboard, it's all kind of a haze. A nightmare I couldn't wake up from." He looked up as the ocean waves lapped up against the shore.

"Well, at least you remember feeling something in the end." The pirate took the bottle back again and drank.

Naruto watched him lay back in the sand, eyes shutting out the warm colors of the sunset, blocking out every bit of light. He wasn't sure what the redhead meant. Feeling something, that should have been a given. The merman removed his shoes and sighed at the feel of the soft sand on his feet while he thought about what his Captain had last said.

"Those pirates back there, they said you were a monster." the blond hesitated, watching the mans face for any sign he should stop speaking.

"Most people say that about me." He spoke without opening his eyes.

The merman took that as a sign to continue, "Why do they say that about you?"

The redhead frowned for a brief moment before sitting back up and pointing to the group of stars barely visible during the sunset in the southern sky. "Tell me, what do merfolk call that constellation?"

"We have no names for them since they aren't really visible underwater. Humans use them for navigation, right?" the merman was confused at the abrupt direction the conversation was taking.

"Correct, however the celestial bodies also have stories as to how they came to be. Scorpio was set in the sky by the gods as a reminder. You see Orion was a great hunter but his power became so great that he began boasting he was greater than the gods. He threw off the balance by killing too many animals and humans alike. Apollo set out the scorpion after him to put his power to an end. It takes a monster to kill a monster."

The blond quirked a brow still not understanding the point of the pirates tale.

Gaara sighed slightly and continued, "Long before I took over the Alacran my cousin Sasori was captain. He was infamous for his cunning and impatience but tremendously loyal to his crew, they were his family. We came from a land called Suna, it is a harsh and cruel place, survival by any means is the most important law. Sasori fled to the ocean, living the life of a so called scoundrel, abandoning the endless desert for the endless sea. I only saw that he had done what I should have done years later, he saved himself. In many ways he also saved me, he saved his cousins, saved his crew. Damn Sasori was always saving others, that was his downfall." the redhead closed his eyes once again but kept speaking

Naruto was surprised the man was so openly talking about his past. For all their time spent together not once had he said anything. It was a closed off topic, never to be discussed. Yet here he was laying in the sand, telling Naruto his story like it was the easiest thing for him to do.

"There was a navy admiral, arrogant bastard. He boasted of his supreme pirate hunting skills, so much that he gained the nickname Orion, the great hunter. They say he spared none when he took down our fellow pirates. He was a monster, leaving burning villages that harbored his prey and pirate ports destroyed in his wake. He went after the most notorious of us and Sasori, the Red Devil was high on his list. He had been waiting for us to dock, he was several steps ahead and his plan was nearly flawless, except for the fact that amidst all the commotion of the ambush they grabbed me instead of Sasori. I suppose we looked alike, red hair is a distinguishable feature and easy to confuse during a fight. My cousin being the impatient son of a bitch that he was came after me, rescued me yet again. He died at the hand of the admiral, all for my sake."

The merman drew his knees up to his chest unsure of what to say. What Gaara said would have made most people sad but the pirate was next to emotionless as he went on, eyes cold and voice level.

"I suppose that moment was a breaking point, I gave up on feeling anything at all. Sasori was the last thing keeping me from the emptiness that had lived inside me from the time I was a child. I gave in, I felt nothing. I simply moved forward from there, cutting down anyone who got in between me and my hollow attempt at vengeance. I did not register mercy, or compassion, only death. Women, men, children, none of that mattered to me. The only thing I knew was that they were in my way, keeping me from my new purpose. Maybe deep down I thought avenging my cousin would make me feel again, it only made my hands all the more stained and my bloodlust intensify."

"You became the scorpion who killed Orion." The merman finally connected the dots between the tale and his past. It was how he received his nickname, it was why others feared him.

"The monster who killed a monster." The captain stated dryly.

"What happened after you killed him?"

Gaara gave a sick laugh, "I was instatable. Ruthless, cold and detached. My terrors multiplied at night, my cousin began haunting me even after I crew feared me, my own family feared me. I had become everything Sasori had tried to save me from."

The blonde dared to inquire further, "What changed?"

The captain considered the question for a while before shrugging, "I grew tired. Tired of being empty, tired of the numbness, tired of the cold nothingness inside me. I looked back and realized Sasori, for all his shortcomings, was quite the honorable man. He valued things I had long forgotten while I was living in the shadows of myself chasing my prey. He had always openly faced the light. I decided to try it his way, even if at first it felt like a battle in itself. Living for my family, my crew, leading and protecting them with everything I could. He believed that the Alacran would be his legacy, his eternal work of art. I didn't understand at first but I came to realize he meant the crew, the bonds of trust he made out of a bunch of no good pirates."

Naruto was quiet, mulling over all that the man had told him. This was the most he had ever said about himself and the merman was afraid if he spoke would break whatever spell had come over the captain. The redhead sat up, shrugging out of his coat and removing his boots to feel the cool grains of sand on his skin. There was nothing but the sound of the ebb and flow of the water.

"Do you think I'm a monster?" his voice was soft, like he was whispering it to the wind, a secret not meant for anyone to hear.

Naruto turned his head to meet striking green eyes, realizing for the first time, there was doubt displayed in them. The merman finally gave a small smile. Gaara was many things, a pirate, a scoundrel, a thief, intimidating, guarded, loyal, protective, honest. A monster however was not one of them. Naruto had known loneliness, he had known rejection, he had known how empty those had made him feel. The captain may have made some mistakes, but he had overcome the madness. He wanted to overcome the hollow void in his heart and real monsters were incapable of wanting to do that. The blond reached out and grabbed the pale hand.

"No. You are not a monster."

X_X

Things were bad, very very bad. They had managed to evade the Hebi for a few more months but Gaara knew he couldn't do this forever. It had bought him plenty of time to work on a plan, but how well the plan work out depended all on circumstance. Pirate's life and all that be damned. He paced in thought, boots sounding on the hard wood with each footstep.

"You're going to wear a trench in the floor if you keep it up." The familiar voice teased lightly, pulling the captain out of his concentration.

He looked over the the blond wearing nothing but a bedsheet and delivered a short look of annoyance before resuming his attempts at coming up with ulterior solutions. It's not that he was worried they would take the pages they wanted, hell he'd happily hand them over if the action didn't all to eagerly scream 'I HAVE A WEAKNESS'. Which was true, he did have a major weakness now much to his chagrin. His eyes wandered over again to the merman tangled in his sheets, shifting and stretching lazily like there was nothing more important than being in bed at that moment.

Naruto beamed up and beckoned him over, "Stop being a captain for five minutes and just be Gaara, ok?"

The pirate wasn't exactly sure when it happened, it felt like it always was. The kisses, the soft touches, the warm embraces and whispered voices between them. This feeling was his missing piece. Naruto was his missing piece. Years of searching and he had finally felt peace from his past, freed from his ghosts, no longer haunted or plagued by the shadows of who he once was.

He sat back down as the merman intertwined his hands around his waist and brought him even closer. The sunlight scattered rays through the window and splayed on the blond hair, rendering it golden and lighting up the features of Naruto's face. Gaara traced the faint scars with a pale finger watching as blue eyes fell slightly at the motion.

"I'm sorry my face is so awful. I wish you had something better to look at."

The pirate shook his head firmly, "No. You're perfect."

The way they could easily close the space between them was astounding. Like they were made to fit together. Hands roamed exposed skin and lips fervently found each other and nothing else seemed to matter in that moment. Everything else in the world fell away and only they were left together.

"Captain!" Temari burst through the door without knocking first.

Gaara let out an annoyed sigh at the intrusion but not bothering to move away from Naruto. "What"

"Oh, sorry for interrupting your snogging session with your boyfriend" She sarcastically retorted, "but you may like to know that the Hebi have us in their sights."

"Shit"

Gaara sprung from his bed and quickly shouted out orders to Temari. She dashed back out to the crew and began preparations for the upcoming battle. The pirate sheathed his weapons and turned back to Naruto who was throwing a pair of pants on as fast as he could. They had been over what to do once the Hebi caught up to them, but he had to ask again, just in case.

"You know what to do?" The captain helped his lover finish dressing.

"Head to the infirmary, help Chiyo with the wounded, stay off the main deck if possible." Naruto recited back to him.

Gaara nodded slowly pausing for a moment as they looked at each other. They both knew this would be a difficult battle. The Uchiha was cruel and vile and a tough match for the Alacran, everything could go south if things didn't fall into place. It was soft and gentle and completely opposite of the kisses they shared not a few minutes ago.

"Be careful" Naruto whispered as Gaara pulled away and grabbed his hat.

The redhead turned back before exiting his quarters and offered the blond smile, one of the ones reserved only for him. "You too."

X_X

It was all a blur, difficult to see much clearly as the cold rain poured down on every surface while the ships were tossed about like driftwood. The deafening cracks of lightning accompanied with cannon fire almost drowned out the sound of steel clashing and men shouting as bodies slipped and fought across the floors and the crashing waves cleaned the deck of spilled blood and the ocean never ceased claiming victims for its own. Gaara could easily describe it in two words, pure chaos.

The redhead swiftly worked his way through the mass of men and women contested in skirmishes, his target always in his sight. His clothing stuck to him and the chill of the rain began seeping into his skin, a rhythmic slicing with his sword as pirates fell lifeless before him.

"Are you insane or a fool to try and pick a fight with me, Snake?"

"Perhaps I just don't fear you." The Uchiha smirked his response.

Gaara gave half hearted shrug, "Then you are indeed a fool."

They patiently circled each other, swords drawn at the ready. Gaara was a good swordsman, but Sasuke was even better. The redhead knew this and kept his face drawn, focus entirely on the pirate before him. The lunge was quick, faster than any opponent the man had faced. The clink of steel was harsh as he had barely been able to block it. The next attacks lacked no speed, they were full force and Gaara found himself moving back, not even the reckless rocking of the ship could throw the Snake's footwork or accuracy off. He ducked just in time as the sword slipped above him and wedged itself into the mast behind him, creating an opening for the pirate to take a cheap shot. Fist collided with face and the captain felt the satisfying crunch of bones beneath his knuckles. The action seemed to catch the attention of all around, only the raindrops hitting the ship were audible as the Hebi captain regained his composure.

"I didn't peg you for cheap shots." Sasuke wiped the blood from his nose on the back of his arm.

"What, don't tell me you expected a fair swordfight? You'd rip me to shreds."

"Well, you're not wrong. You've forgotten that I also like to play dirty, however."

A sound made Gaara freeze in place for a second before whipping around to see Naruto shouting profanity and wriggling fiercely in the arms of Sasuke's first mate. The bright orange tail sprouted as his limbs were dragged into the water crashing onto the deck.

"Naruto!" The captain choked out.

"Gaara! Don't let them take me!" Blue eyes pleaded as his large tail fin flailed wildly.

"Let him go." The redhead turned back to the Uchiha who had drawn a sharp sword at the flesh of his neck.

There was a slight scoff followed by a menacing smirk, "I see you've grown attached, how endearing."

"I'll give you what you want, release him."

"Well now, I think that I should be compensated for all the trouble I had to go through just to get here. So I believe the merman will be coming back with me." Sasuke waved a hand to his men so they could continue moving the creature to their ship.

A dark cold voice followed, almost eerily disembodied if you couldn't see the words leaving pale lips. Nothing like the normal composed and stable speech that belonged to the redheaded man. "Take him and you bind yourself, your crew to an inescapable death sentence."

Gaara stepped forward, closing the space between himself and the blade. A small dribble of blood fell from the tiny nick in his neck. The Uchiha flinched momentarily as onyx eyes locked onto the void of anything human that lingered in glowing green embers. A cheeky remark should have followed that but instead the air was filled with a shrill howl and both captains jumped at the unexpected sound. It broke the spell of silence that seemed to consume both crews.

Naruto had sunk his teeth into the pirates arm and jabbed his fingers into eye sockets, fighting the large man's grasp. The merman was knocked to the ground, rolling and thrashing his tail as the pirates chased him across the deck. "Don't let him get away you fools!" was drowned out by a "Don't let them take him!" and once again the pandemonium assumed.

All hands scrambled on deck for the creature, Gaara took the opportunity of distraction to disarm Sasuke and drive the blade into his heart pinning him to the wooden post with his own weapon. A short laughter spilled out alongside the blood from the dying man. "Well, I guess it does take a monster to kill a monster after all."

X_X

A mass of hands and limbs filled Naruto's vision, all grabbing at him, kicking at him, pulling on him. He couldn't see faces, his heart was beating out of his chest as he tossed about, out of grips and fresh salt water splashed into his face every time the giant ship jerked. He shouted in confusion when a set of arms wrapped around his middle and hoisted him up, an inhuman screech of desperation. He was dropped back to the deck violently as whoever had grabbed him was now laying lifeless next to him, shock white hair stained red, one of Sasuke's crew. The merman clambered across the wood trying to distance himself from the crews brawling for his capture. He frantically scanned the mayhem for his captain, the ship dangerously creaking as it was tossed amidst the waves yet again.

"Captain, she's taking on too much water! The swells are knockin' us around something fierce, we can't keep the cannons tied down long enough to fire!" Deidara's voice bellowed from below, the heavy sound of several iron weapons rolling and crashing into the side of the gun deck.

"Improvise." Came the sharp command somewhere to Naruto's left.

It was like a guiding light, the strong voice carried and the merman finally caught a glimpse of the deep red hair he was searching for. He was still slicing through Sasuke's men with precision and speed but his eyes wandered despite his skilled sword, scanning the ship for something. Their eyes meet briefly just before Naruto was dragged backwards once again. His nail scratched desperately at the wooden panels beneath him, looking for anything to hold onto before he was swung around savagely, head slamming into the floor in the process. Another unearthly screech was let out by the merman just before it was cut off by a massive wave of salt water that swept across the ship. He kept screaming anyways, shouting out his frustrations and pain into the ocean like it was the one at fault for his current predicament. The wave rammed him backwards into the main mast, his head yet again taking the brunt of the impact. Blue eyes opened, but the roaring ocean water blinded his vision, what was a normal storm had now turned into an outright tempest.

Naruto managed to grab a hold of the mast, trying to anchor himself as nature wreaked havoc on his enemies and friends. He heard an immense amount of shouting and heavy crashing of what he assumed were the boats being broken apart by the ocean. He would barley make out Gaara's voice giving commands in the distance but what he was saying was completely beyond him. He felt the heavy rushing footfalls of people running about and then they disappeared as another swell crashed onto the deck, several 'man overboards' in the span of at least two minutes and a final crash and shaking of what may have been the main deck finally splitting in two. An absolute turn for the worse.

A familiar figure blew right into Naruto's side, gripping on tightly to the blond. "You have to abandon ship Naruto, the Alacran won't last these waves. The ship is going down. Get to the long boats."

Naruto turned to watch the solemn look on Gaara's face as he spoke. He opened his mouth to speak when the human made an abrupt movement to cover his ears in obvious pain. Naruto grabbed onto him as best he could with one arm before he could be dragged away into the ocean. "What's wrong? Gaara what's happening?"

The man shouted out in agony as blood began pooling around his fingers that were trying to drown out some sound Naruto could not hear.

A moment passed before the ocean ceased its raging and the calm took over, sinister and still like the eye of a storm. That's when Naruto heard it, the voice he thought he would never hear again. "Mom?!"

Fiery red hair appeared over the side of the ship as the siren pulled herself on board whatever was left of the vessel. "Naruto! I never thought I'd see you again. Are you alright? Look what these monster's did to you, your beautiful face, your gorgeous tail! " She spoke a mile a minute as she grabbed the orange fin in her hands and examined it with tears in her eyes.

"Mom." It was all Naruto could manage to say as he embraced her fiercely, sobbing into her shoulder.

They stayed like that for a long moment until the tears had subsided and he was able to speak without bawling like a child. "I don't understand. What are you doing here, what about the Siren's law?"

"I heard your cries, they echoed through the water. You sounded so scared and I rushed over. Oh Naruto, I never stopped looking for you, you know. Even when the were rumors of a merman taken in by pirates was being passed around, I just couldn't stop. I couldn't believe you would follow in the same path as your father." She began crying again, softly sniffling as if to keep herself from falling apart. "But now I can see from your scars that you were stolen from the sea and tortured by these vile men. You can make an appeal to the Queen's council and they can revoke your exile sentence. You can come home."

Gaara slumped to the floor, hands still pressed to the side of his head, grimacing in pain. The blonde pulled away from his mother and turned to his captain.

"Home?" Blue eyes took in the pirates pained state. He rested his hand on the deep red hair allowing small comforting feelings to ease Gaara's momentary pain. "I am home mom. This is my home. He is my home."

She let he jaw fall open at the words that fell from his mouth and simply stared at him wide eyed and in disbelief.

"I'm not treated like an outcast here. I have friends, people who accept me as I am. Someone who loves me despite my past or flaws or family lineage. Humans aren't all vile and barbaric, some of them are more understanding and loving than our own kind. I love you mom, but the ocean is not my home anymore."

She sat there in silence, crying and never looking away from her son until Naruto couldn't stand it any longer.

"Please say something, mom"

"What am I supposed to say? You've broken my heart, just like your father did." She sobbed violently.

"I'm choosing to be happy. Dad chose to save a life. Neither one of those things are wrong, the law is what's wrong. Our fear and hatred for humans is what's wrong." the merman spat out passionately.

She gasped lightly and frowned before waving her hand abruptly. Gaara stopped writhing and let out small shallow breaths as he was no longer in pain. Naruto helped him up into a seating position as he regained his composure once more. The mermaid frowned as her eyes flitted between the two momentarily and then her face set into a fierce scowl as she grabbed at the pirates collar. Naruto shouted in protest but Gaara kept a straight face, determined to not be by her.

"Promise me," She all but shouted through obvious sobs that escaped her "Promise me that you will protect him. Promise me that you won't ever abandon him." Her voice was cracking as fresh tears spilled from her eyes and she began to shake the captain. "Promise me that you will always love him."

Gaara kept his gaze on her, never faltering or looking away. "You have my word."

She sniffled heavily before finally releasing the captain and turning back to her son. "I just want you to be happy. Even if that means I will never get to see you again, as long as you are safe and happy."

Naruto hugged her hard. This would be as close to a mother's blessing as he would get in this situation. She may not have fully understood, but she supported his happiness. That was the most important thing. After a few minutes she finally pulled away and wiped the last of her tears from her face.

"Now, I can only hold back the storm for a little while longer. I suggest you sail out of the area while your ship can still stay afloat." She lightly patted her son's cheek once more before crawling back to the edge.

"You would do well to keep your promise to a queen of the seven seas, pirate. My wrath is not something you'd want to incur." She turned to glare at Gaara one last time.

"I am a man of my word, your majesty. I swear my life on it." The captain stated simply

She gave a short nod before returning to the water and disappearing out of sight.

Naruto clung to Gaara as he was hoisted up off the floor and into the captain's arms. The redhead quickly began shouting orders to sail out of the storm before they were caught in it again. Temari waved her brother off as soon as the crew had gotten to work, rolling her eyes at the scrapes and scratches across his face and throwing a dry sheet at the merman. They retreated back to their quarters silently.

Naruto's legs had finally returned and his cuts and bruises were bandaged and tended to. It was quiet, Gaara was obviously lost in his thoughts.

"Are you ok?"

He shook his head lightly. "I almost lost you. I hadn't felt afraid in such a long time, but when they almost took you…"

"And they failed. I am still here, with you. All of that is ok to feel but now, it's just a thing of the past. All that matters is us, here and now." He smiled at the man next to him.

Gaara laughed suddenly as he thought over what the blond had said, "I suppose you are right then. As long as you are with me everything else is just a thing of the past. "

X_X_X

The End!

Thank you for the kind reviews! I hope you all have enjoyed.

Please feel free to leave concrit and feedback or ideas for new stories!

3


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